Meet the Lehmans
The Parents: Tiffany, 39, mortgage underwriter; Andy, 45, building engineer
The Kids: Anna, 9; Jack, 6
Home: Des Moines, Iowa
Current Stats: Tiffany, 250 lbs and 5’3″; Andy, 257 lbs and 6’2″
Goal for Anna: Quit looking to food as her comfort and reward
Goal for Jack: Eat more veggies and less fast food
Why They’re Ready For The Challenge: Though Tiffany logs all her food and four weekly workouts on SparkPeople.com, 100 pounds stand between her and a healthy weight and lower blood pressure. “I’ve dieted on and off for years, losing about 10 pounds each time,” says Tiffany. “Then something comes up, like a stressful day with our son, who is autistic. I overindulge and the weight comes right back!” And she’s not the only Lehman tipping the scales, something that hit her when she saw last year’s holiday photos. “Sure, we all had smiles on our faces, but I was surprised to see how much space we took up in the picture,” Tiffany says.
Better-Health Hurdles
★ Eating turns into a free-for-all. “This is one of our biggest weekend challenges,” says Andy. “We don’t plan for lunches. Most of the time we go for the easiest route like frozen pizza or fast food, or we have a tiny snack and then gorge ourselves at dinner. We also indulge in beer and wine on the weekend!”
★ Portion sizes are a problem. “I love the taste of food and want to keep eating,” says Tiffany. “We never measure anything.”
★ We’re foodies. “When people ask, ‘What’s your favorite food?’ my reply is ‘Yes!’ because we love everything,” explains Tiffany. Topping the list are wine, cheese, bread, desserts and rich meals like steak.
Their Fit Future
★ Lighten up by 165 pounds. “That’s 50 for me, 100 for Tiffany and 15 for Anna,” says Andy. (Their son doesn’t need to slim down.) “I’ll be 40 in January and I refuse to spend the next 40 years making the same mistakes I made in the first 40,” Tiffany insists.
★ Teach their children well. “We need to change bad habits we’ve instilled in our kids, like rewarding with food,” reveals Tiffany. “My daughter says, ‘I was really good at the grocery store. Can I have ice cream?’ Or my son asks for McDonald’s if he’s his school’s Superstar of the Day.”
★ Make fitness a family affair. Being active isn’t a problem for Tiffany, who loves running, weight training and boot camps, or Andy, who walks a lot for his job and does isometric workouts at home. “But I want us to exercise as a family every weekend,” Andy says. “It would be a fun way to get healthy—things like playing outside, going to the park or riding our very dusty bikes together.”
Do you face the same health hurdles? Share in the comments below.
Categories: Healthy Family Challenge, Meet The Lehmans | Tags: healthy family challenge 2012, the lehmans
30 Comments
30 Responses to “Meet the Lehmans”
May 3, 2012 at 4:03 pm, by Meet the Lehmans’ Nutritionist | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Circle asked Karpinske to guide the Lehmans through their six-month makeover and give them some of the knowledge they need to accomplish [...]
May 8, 2012 at 9:38 am, by Healthy Family Challenge 2012: "The Ultimate Prize Is Our Health" | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] We ‘re very excited, happy and thrilled to start this challenge, but it also made us nervous. Nervous that we are going to be so out there. Nervous about failing. It’s one of my biggest weaknesses: fear of success and failure. But then I think about our strengths. We’re very determined and committed to this challenge and know that we will put our best foot forward. [...]
May 9, 2012 at 8:39 am, by Win a FLogg Daily Food and Fitness Journal! | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Lehmans and Avaglianos all received FLogg Daily food and fitness journals to track their habits in their [...]
May 10, 2012 at 8:59 am, by Challenge #1: Eat More Fruits and Veggies | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] the next six months, Family Circle will be giving the Lehmans and Avaglianos a number of challenges to help them lose weight and get in [...]
May 16, 2012 at 1:55 pm, by How to Try New Fruits and Vegetables and Eat Healthier | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] help the Lehmans and Avaglianos in their quest for better nutrition, Melissa’s has been sending each family a [...]
May 18, 2012 at 9:13 am, by Healthy Eating Tip: Make a Healthy, Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipe | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Lehmans and Avaglianos have been making great strides in adding more fruits and veggies to their diet. [...]
May 23, 2012 at 9:07 am, by Dried Fruit and Qunioa: Our Favorite New Healthy Foods | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] and veggies…are you getting enough? Chances are probably not. I know the Lehmans were [...]
May 23, 2012 at 3:39 pm, by Healthy Eating: Cooking with Whole Grains | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] the past two weeks, the Lehmans and Avaglianos have been incorporating more fruits and veggies into their diets. Both families have [...]
May 28, 2012 at 2:38 pm, by Healthy Eating: How a Healthy Plate Looks | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] it should contain fruits and veggies. If it doesn’t, you need to make some adjustments. I asked the Lehmans to do the “plate check” at every meal as a reminder to eat more fruits and vegetables. If their [...]
May 30, 2012 at 1:59 pm, by Healthy Recipes: Make Healthy Mexican Meals | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] been making Taco Night healthier at the Lehman home. With some guidance from her nutritionist, she’s cooked meatless quinoa and bean tacos [...]
May 30, 2012 at 9:09 pm, by Karen Delaney
I was gabsmocked when I read the Lehmans profile…..had to look twice to make sure it wasn’t my picture there!…I need to loose 100 pounds and am 5 foot 3. My husband needs to loose 50 just like Andy. I have a daughter and a son and imagine this….my son is autistic! I often feel as if the demands of caring for an autistic child prevents me from eating well – it’s hard to take the time to take care of yourself when someone else needs you more. I’ll be following the challenge and doing my own…hopefully my husband and daughter will join in!
June 11, 2012 at 8:50 am, by Challenge #2: Drink More Water | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] new liquid diet: We challenge the Lehmans and Avaglianos to decrease their intake of sugar-sweetened, calorie-laden, caffeine-pumped [...]
June 18, 2012 at 11:49 am, by Wine and Weight Loss | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] I first met the Lehman family, Tiffany told me that she–like many women–LOVES red wine. No problem, I told her, [...]
June 27, 2012 at 8:16 am, by Tiffany, Week 7: Words of Wisdom that Transformed Me | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] I even entered my family into this Healthy Family Challenge, I claimed 2012 as my year in a personal blog. It’s the last [...]
July 2, 2012 at 11:19 am, by Tiffany, Week 8: How to Fall In Love With Drinking Water | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Lehmans love water. This may sounds silly but water soothes me. When I feel stressed at work I love taking [...]
July 2, 2012 at 12:54 pm, by Think Before You Drink: Are You Drinking Lots of Calories Out of Habit? | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] The Lehman family doesn’t drink many sugary beverages, but when they go out to eat, Tiffany said that the kids usually order soda. Several weeks ago, I recommended that she order the kids water instead of soda, but her journal continues to show that the kids have soda when eating out. [...]
July 4, 2012 at 8:44 am, by Challenge #2: Drink More Water: The Winners Are… | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] month we peered into the Lehmans’ and Avaglianos’ cups, mugs and glasses. What we found was a health mistake your crew can [...]
July 6, 2012 at 3:47 pm, by Challenge Yourself: Drink More Water | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Lehmans and Avaglianos were both so successful in upping their water intakes–and decreasing their [...]
July 9, 2012 at 8:27 am, by Challenge #3: Get More Exercise | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Right: We outfitted the Lehmans and Avaglianos with Fitbit activity trackers to see how getting more exercise could make a [...]
July 9, 2012 at 3:30 pm, by Challenge Yourself: Start Walking! | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Challenge #3, the members of the Lehman and Avagliano families are each striving to take 10,000 steps a [...]
August 6, 2012 at 10:59 am, by Challenge #4: Get More Sleep | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] back the night: We asked the Lehmans and Avaglianos to put down the remote control and go to [...]
August 30, 2012 at 10:51 am, by Challenge #4: Get More Sleep: The Winners Are… | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] squeeze in another episode of The Good Wife, almost all of us skimp on sleep. And that includes the Lehmans and Avaglianos. So we used data from their Fitbit Ultra activity and sleep trackers as well as [...]
September 3, 2012 at 11:45 am, by Challenge #5: Get Fit! | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] On! For Challenge #5, each member of the Lehman and Avagliano family received personalized goals from their trainers for cardio, strength and [...]
September 5, 2012 at 10:05 am, by Tiffany, Week 17: How I Learned To Listen (And Talk) To My Body | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] but I knew I had to do it! I had to prove to myself that I had it in me. Other than marrying Andy and having my kids this was one of the greatest personal achievements in my [...]
September 5, 2012 at 2:21 pm, by Stephanie: What’s Better Than A 100-Calorie Snack Pack? | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] Lehman family loves to snack on 100-calorie packs, especially the cookie ones. But if you’ve ever tried one of [...]
September 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm, by Cut the “Diet” Foods | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] I started working with the Lehman family, I noticed that they ate a lot of “diet” foods. I call them “diet” foods because they are [...]
October 1, 2012 at 9:11 am, by Challenge #6: The Grand Finale | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] all comes down to this. After five months, the Lehmans and Avaglianos will have to use all the skills they’ve learned before a final weigh-in. Who [...]
October 3, 2012 at 10:06 am, by Tiffany, Week #21: What a Difference A Bed Makes | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] you’re in the market for a new bed, the Lehmans strongly encourage you to check out these beds. They are wonderful! Thank you Family Circle and [...]
October 30, 2012 at 9:40 am, by Jo Dunkerson
How exciting! I will definitely be following the progress of these two families. I know they will be dedicated to improving their diets and lifestyle. Best of luck to all and keep up the good job!
Iowa Fan
October 31, 2012 at 11:58 am, by Challenge Yourself: Get Your Family Healthy, Too | Healthy Family Challenge 2012
[...] the Lehmans’ and Avaglianos’ leads and get your family healthy by following these do’s and [...]